An In-depth Look At Alternate Treatments

Choosing the right migraine treatment can be very concerning; the reason being that the wrong treatment could lead to further complications and limitations. Medical professionals often prescribe medications to their migraine patients in hopes of offering them relief, but sadly the medications prescribed often lead to further complications. More and more individuals are leaning toward a natural or alternative method for treating their migraine pain. Migraine sufferers have several alternative treatments to choose from.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care or spinal manipulation therapy has been a proven method for persons seeking an alternative for migraine treatment. Studies have shown that in the case of tension and migraine headaches, manipulative therapy can be as effective as preventative medications in helping to keep off the onset of migraines. Once a migraine has begun, chiropractic therapy, a holistic method, can also greatly reduce the painful symptoms if care is given in a timely manner.

Spinal Manipulation

Studies have shown that many migraines originate in the spine, often because of misalignment of the vertebra and then can irritate the nerves that travel the length of the spine to the brain. This misalignment makes a person more prone to chemical imbalances in the brain. Some researchers say that manipulating the vertebrae—a chiropractor’s specialty—relieves the pressure against inflamed nerves and can in turn relieve the headaches. Chiropractic treatment also deals with many of the causative factors to migraines such as relieving the restriction in movement in the neck, muscle tension in the neck, as well as muscle tension in the upper back and shoulders which when not corrected can lead to posture problems that may influence migraine occurrences. If correctly used as a form of preventative migraine treatment periodic adjustments (or spinal manipulations) keep the spine and cervical bones aligned properly to help avoid the onset of migraines in the first place. Studies have even shown that individuals who receive normal periodic adjustments can actually begin to feel when their spine and cervical bones begin to get out of line and a simple visit to the chiropractors office for and adjustment can ward off the onset of migraine symptoms.

Massage Therapy

The two main symptoms that are presented by the condition of migraine headaches are fatigue and pain. Massage therapy can aid in lessening both of these symptoms by helping the migraines suffer to be able to experience less pain, obtain more sleep, and also to help relax some of the tightened and stiff muscles that can contribute to much of the pain. Research has proven that the use of massage therapy as a form of migraine treatment can help migraine sufferers experience deeper levels of sleep and lessen levels of pain and fatigue. The way that massage therapy accomplishes this is by using the different forms of massage to help oxygenate the body as a whole which can decrease the severity of symptoms that a migraine sufferer will experience. Massage therapy can help migraine sufferers find relief from their symptoms specifically by:

1. Improving Sleep
2. Reducing Swelling, Pain, and Stiffness in the Joints & Muscles
3. Decreasing Anxiety & Stress
4. Increasing Blood Circulation
5. Increasing Flexibility
6. Increasing the Range of Motion

Forms of Massage Therapy Used

First of all it is important to note that massage therapy, especially when performed on a migraine patient, should be administered by a trained professional, preferably a trained professional who is accustomed to working with patients who suffer from migraine. Some of the forms of massage therapy that are commonly used for migraine treatment are:

• Swedish Massage
• Positional Release Techniques
• Myofascial Release
• Reflexology
• Passive Stretching
• Energy Healing Cranial-Sacral Therapy
• Proprioceptor Neuromuscular Facilitation
• Neuromuscular Therapy

Acupuncture  

In the case of migraine treatment acupuncture, which is an ancient Chinese practice that involves the insertion of very fine needles into certain points of the body, can be very effective. It is important that a properly trained person administer this type of therapy, but the good news is that with pain associated with migraines the effects can last for months, and studies have shown that acupuncture is useful as an additional management or acceptable alternative in regards to pain management.

Tags: Acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, chiropractic care, herbal supplements, Massage Therapy, Migraine Support Formula, natural migraine treatment